Stewardship Ministry
How Do We Understand Stewardship?
•Everything that we have, even our very time spent on this earth, has been loaned to us from God.
What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if all you have is from God, why boast as though you have accomplished something on your own? I Corinthians 4:2
•Stewardship emerges from an attitude of thankfulness towards God, who has given us all that we have.
What shall I give the Lord in return for all his benefits towards me? Ps 116:2
• God understands that true thankfulness allows us to draw closer to Him. Our thankfulness generates a desire to give back from the gifts that we have been given. We grow spiritually when we give our time, talent and treasure. In Christ’s story of the talents (Matthew 25:14-29), a businessman entrusts his wealth to the care of servants while he is away. When the businessman returns, he judges how each servant cared for the wealth that was entrusted to him. To those did good things with their trust, the man says, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness” Matthew 25:21. Christ also teaches that: From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked Luke 12:48.
•Stewardship is a way of submitting our lives to God, living with a grateful heart, manifested in joyful giving of our talent, time, and wealth. Christ tells us “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. …Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15: 1-8
How can we be good stewards of the Church?
Time: Get involved with one of our church ministries. Ministry leaders can help you donate your valuable time in many different ways. Start with volunteering for one simple task, and see how it goes. It is understood that everyone has different time constraints, and volunteering doesn’t mean that you will be depended on for the same task in the future. Help out when you can.
Talent: We have all been given talents by God. As “good and faithful servants”, we are called to use our talents to bear good fruit. Let ministry leaders know how you may be able to help. You can start by donating your talent in one small area, and see how it goes.
Treasure: Stewardship donations from our parishioners are supposed to provide the financial means to maintain our church structure, to support of our priest and family, and to continue liturgical services. Holy Trinity does not function with a dues system of Stewardship donation. We are called to reflect upon what we each “owe” to God, considering the gifts that He has given us. Freely you have received. Freely give. Matthew 10:8